News Headlines:

Qadri summoned by Canadian authorities for asylum oath breach

19 Jan 2013, 0901 hrs IST, AGENCIES

Firebrand
cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri, who led a massive protest against the government in
Islamabad, has been summoned by Canadian authorities to explain a violation of
the oath he had taken while seeking asylum there, under which he had stated that
he was not allowed to enter Pakistan.

The Canadian authorities said
Qadri had violated an oath stating that he was not allowed to enter
Pakistan.

Qadri, also known as Abdul Shakoor Qadri, had sought asylum
in Canada in 2008, saying there were threats to his life after he met the Danish
cartoonist responsible for blasphemous caricatures of the Prophet
Mohammed.

Through his lawyer Mendel Green, Qadri had claimed that he
had been threatened by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and
Sipah-e-Sahaba.

His asylum application was accepted on October 17,
2009 and he was issued a Canadian passport about six months ago, the channel
reported.

Qadri has reportedly been receiving welfare funds from the
Canadian government on health grounds, the report said.

The cleric
ended his protest aimed at ousting the government after he signed an agreement
with a government team yesterday.

Under the deal struck between the
two sides, Pakistan government agreed to appoint a caretaker Prime Minister by
consensus ahead of the next general election.

Qadri had returned to
Pakistan last month after living in Canada for seven years.

Several
TV news channels reported that Qadri and members of his family had been booked
to fly to Toronto via Dubai on January 27.